Ringing in a new playoff season

Phil Jackson has made it a habit of wearing the championship ring from the previous title run during the playoffs. So Sunday, he had on the heavily diamond-encrusted ring, which is the size of some paperweights.

"I've been wearing 2002 for too many years," Jackson said before Game 1 against Oklahoma City. "But it's a difficult ring to wear. It's a beautiful thing, but (because of it's size) there's no clapping of hands, or shaking hands with people, particularly the ones who want to squeeze your hands really hard."

Asked if he ever has set off any security alarms because of the ring, Jackson said no, but then again it wouldn't matter.

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